Claudius or Peter Waldo, as may be objected, we demand, not assertion for the fact, but proof; and proof too, not from the arguments of the moderns, Ἡμεῖς γὰρ κλέος οἷον ἀκουσάμεθ' odde i dμev, but from the testimonies of the contemporaries of the Vaudois in former ages, who wanted neither the will nor the opportunity to disprove the antiquity of the faith of the Vaudois: one thing only they wanted, viz. the possibility of disproving it. Q. E. D. 8. Jean Leger's History of the Vaudois, 1669, continuing their history to 1664. This most complete history of the Vaudois vindicates the antiquity of this church. Pt. 1. p. 128. 131. 183. Alleges Thuanus, p. 129, and Luther, p. 130; and Bp. Jewel, p. 135. Brings forward Claudius of Turin, p. 137. Asserts that England was reformed by them, p. 176. States, what we think not improbable, that the year 666 was the true epoch of idolatry and transubstantiation, the abomination of desolation, p. 134, which is confirmed by the Cent Magd. and asserted by Fleming on the Revelation, who adds that the Latin liturgy was then enforced. Abp. Usher and Sir S. Morland left little to this eminent author to add to the history, besides a continuation of it to his own times. He has ably availed himself of their researches, and produced the most perfect history of the Vaudois. 9. Dr. Allix on the Waldenses and Albigenses, 1690. He proves the apostolical antiquity and primitive faith of both these churches, and demonstrates the regular succession of witnesses in them both. One grand omission, however, is that of Hilarius, Bp. of Arles, with whom both persecution and the times of the Man of Sin commenced. See Mede, More, and Sir J. Newton, to whom we most cordially assent. See also Whiston on Rev. xi. 2, for the best judgment on Dr. Allix. 10. Peter Boyer's History of the Vaudois, 1692. This author has given us an excellent epitome of the doctrine and history of the Vaudois to his own time. The epistle dedicatory is properly addressed to the Prince of Orange, who was at this time the head and champion of both Waldenses and Albigenses. See Bp. Burnet's Life of Queen Mary, and the History of his Own Times. He asserts their antiquity, p. 2. He relates their history in a most interesting manner; and all that seems wanting to render this little history complete, is to erase the arguments of the chapters, and every thing like anticipation of success or defeat in the book: for the book abounds with anticipation, the greatest of all faults in an historian. The history of Jayer and Janavel particularly, in the hands of a skilful historian, might be rendered the most interesting of histories. His reflections also are too often repeated, and he is in too great a hurry to finish his story. This work ought to be the basis of a better written popular work. In his application of the prophecies he seems to have applied them well to the restoration of a small proportion of the Vaudois in 1690. But he has not told us what became of the vast multitude of dried bones, or of the Waldenses and Albigenses every where unchurched from April 1685, to the latter end of 1686. We must therefore have recourse to other sources of information. Bp. Lloyd agreed with him in his application of prophecy. 11. Histoire de l'Edit de Nantes, 1695. This great work is second to none in continuing the history both of Waldenses and Albigenses to the author's own times. The precise epoch of the last great persecution by all the Romanists throughout Europe is determined to April or May 1685; the work having been effected in France some months before the formal revocation of the edict: (tome iii. p. 745.) the Waldenses being involved in it, at the very same time. (Bp. Burnet's Travels, p. 65. Compare his History of his Own Times.) 12. The History of the Persecutions of the Protestants by the French King in the Principality of Orange, by M. Pineton, Pastor of the Church of Orange, 1689. This author justly observes, "that the year 1685 was such an epocha that future ages shall look on it to be the most dreadful that ever happened. It was in that year that the temples throughout France were pulled down, and an universal dispersion of the people into all the parts of the earth. We saw, indeed, our calamity hastening apace; but we never thought that the persecution would be so sharp. "It was at Easter in the same year that we began to see the distress of the reformed churches in France: those who in the neighbouring provinces had been forbid all public exercise of their religion, came crowding to us for the sake of their devotion. Storms drive not the waves with more fury than this violent persecution threw troubles continually towards us, which at last swallowed us up."-See other authors, relating to the persecution at Orange, referred to in the History of the Edict of Nantes. 13. M. de Brueys' History of Fanaticism. This celebrated pponent of Protestantism witnesses, that, from June, 1688 to February, 1689,"enthusiasm spread itself with such a torreut among the French Protestants that a conflagration blown with the wind does not spread faster from house to house, than this fury fled from parish to parish. Brethren, said the Prophet, amend your lives; repent ye of that great sin ye have committed in going to mass: it is the Holy Ghost that speaks to you through my mouth. They made loud cries for mercy; the hills and all the echoes adjoining resounded with the cry of mercy; with imprecations against the church. the Pope, and against the Antichristian dominion; with blasphemies against the mass, with exhortations to repentance for having abjured their religion, with predictions of the approaching fall of Popery, and the deliverance of the church pretendedly reformed. Compare Bp. Burnet's History of his Own Times, i. 779, and Jurieu's Preface to his work on the Prophecies, 1687, for most important matter. 14. Iiew of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, by H. Hallam, Esq. 1818, vol. n. p. 531. This eminent author, competent if any modern be so, to sum up the evidence for the antiquity and morality of the Vaudois, seals the testimony in these words: "Those who were absolutely free from any taint of Manicheism are properly called Wa denses, a name perpetually confounded in later times with that of Albigenses. These, according to the majority of writers, took their appellation from Peter Waldo; according to others, the original Waldenses were a race of uncorrupted shepherds in the valleys of the Alps, which had shaken off, or perhaps never learned the system of superstition on which the Catholic church depended for its ascendency. I am not certain that their existence can be distinctly traced beyond the preaching of Waldo, but it is well known that the proper seat of the Waldenses has long continued to be in certain valleys of Piedmont. These pious and innocent sectaries, of whom the very monkish historians speak well, appear to have nearly resem bled the modern Moravians. They had ministers of their own appointment, and denied the lawfulness of oaths and of capital punishments. In cther respects their opinions proba bly were not far removed from those usually called Protestants. A simplicity of dress, and especially the use of wooden sandals, was affected by this people. Their innocence is out of all doubt. No book can be written in a more edifying manner than their Noble Lesson." 15. Bp. Burnet's Esay of Queen Mary, p. 142: "The refugees of France were considered by her, as those whom God had sent to sit safe under her shadow, and easy through her favour. Those scattered remnants of our elder sister, that had been hunted out of their valleys, were again brought together by their majesties' means. It was the king's power ful intercession that restored them to their seats, as well as to their edicts. And it was the queen's charity that formed them into bodies, and put them in the method of enjoying those advantages, and of transmitting them down to future ages. She took care also of preserving the little that remained of the Bohemian churches." "N. B. During the reign of James II., the persecution. which fell on all the Protestants throughout Europe, lighted specially on their elder sisters, the Waldenses and Albigenses. Their churches were unchurched; and their scattered members generally exhibited either a deadness to Protestantism, or actually renounced their former faith, and came over to the church of Rome." (Burnet.) In 1688, Orange awakened, and the dry bones came together, and life entered into them; as M. Brueys acknowledges. It may be seen in the History of the Edict of Nantes, that their army consisted of the Prince of Orange, Marshal Schomberg, and 300 French officers, all of them Protestant refugees. The numbers of the common soldiers we have not found stated; but a paper published at the time of their landing at Torbay, takes particular notice of their fine appearance. The most interesting account of this event is found in Bp. Burnet's History of his Own Times. Having ascended the throne of Great Britain, they had to establish the Protestant kingdom by a war, which continued till the close of the year 1697. And this object they effected, as will be seen in The complete History of England, and Bp. Burnet's History of his Own Times; and now Roma fuit, fuit Othmanides, fuit improbus orbis (See Daubuz on Rev. xiv.) In the mean time, in 1690, a remnant of the Vaudois crossed the lake of Geneva, and recovered their ancient seats, as the greater body had before crossed the British Channel. (Boyer, ch. xxvii.) II. On Bibliomancy or Divination by the Bible; from Townley's Illustrations of Biblical Literature. Vol. i. p. 113. This kind of Divination was named SORTES SANCTORUM, or SORTES SACRE, Lots of the Saints, or Sacred Lots; and consisted in suddenly opening, or dipping into the Bible, and regarding the passage that first presented itself to the eye, as predicting the future Lot of the inquirer The Sortes Sanctorum succeeded the Sortes Homericæ, and Sortes Virgiliana of the pagans, among whom it was customary to take the work of some famous poet, as Homer or Virgil,and write out different verses on separate scrolls, and afterwards draw one of them; or else, opening the book suddenly, consider the first verse that presented itself, as a prognostication of future. events. Even the vagrant fortune-tellers among them, like some of the gipsies of our own times, adopted this method of imposing upon the credulity of the ignorant. The nations of the east still retain this practice. The late Persian usurper, Nadir Shah, twice decided upon besieging cities, by opening upon verses of the celebrated poet Hafiz. Superstitious as this practice was, it nevertheless gained ground by the countenance of certain of the clergy, some of whom permitted prayers to be read in the churches for this very purpose.† Others, however, endeavoured to suppress it, for in the council of Vannes, held A. D. 465. it was ordained, "That whoever of the clergy or laity should be detected in the practice of this art, should be cast out of the communion of the church." In 506, the council of Agde renewed the decree; and in 578, the council of Auxerre, amongst other kinds of divination, forbade the Lots of the Saints, as they were called, adding, "Let all things be done in the name of the Lord." But these ordinances gradually became slighted, for we find the practice again noticed and condemned, in a capitulary, or edict of Charlemagne, in 793. In the twelfth century, this mode of divination was adopted as a means of discovering heretical opinions! One Peter of Thoulouse, being accused of heresy, and having denied it upon oath, a person who stood near, took up the Gospels, on which he had sworn, and opening them suddenly, the first words he lighted upon were those of the Devil to our Saviour, (Mark i. 24.) What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ?" Which, says the relator, agreed well with such a heretic, "who indeed had nothing to do with Christ !!"|| Francis of Assise, who founded the order of Franciscans, in 1206, says of himself, that he was tempted to have a book: * Sir W. Jones's Works, Traité sur la Poesie Orientale, V. p. 463. 4to. + Heinault's Chronolog. Abridgment of the Hist. of France, A. D. 506. S. S. Concilia, Concil. Venet. Anno Christi 465, IV. p. 1057. Bingham's Antiq. of the Chris. Church, VII. B. xvi. ch. v. p. 278. ¿S. S. Concilia, VH. p. 989. Gataker, Of the Nature and Use of Lots, p. 330, |